Falling Into Reality
by talentedwithapen
Summary: Author's Note Inside. I'm putting up the new chapter soon. It will reveal alot of new things!
1. No more fairy tales

Falling Into Reality  
  
Disclaimer- Any names you recognize from the books are not mine. Any you don't recognize are.  
  
  
  
Summary- Little Carlyn doesn't have a clue as to her father's past, who she really is, or what the future holds for her. An only child, she wishes for someone to play with, and going to an all girls school where she may as well as be invisible doesn't help. When mysterious strangers clad in unusual clothes arrive in her kitchen, her world flips itself upside down. Can she cope with her new life that she must begin? More importantly, can she forgive her father for the lies?  
  
  
  
"Please mum, don't go! I'll be good, I promise! Mum, I don't want to be alone anymore. I'm scared, and dad isn't here to comfort me yet. Please mum, don't go! Please!"  
  
Carlyn woke up screaming. Another night terror, and another unforgettable dream. So many questions that her father didn't answer. It had been the same dream for three nights now, and still it scared her beyond her comprehension. Who was that woman, and why did she call her mum? As far as she knew, she didn't have a mum.  
  
"Daddy, I had another bad dream." She whispered into the dark. Soon, her father would come and save her. She knew he would.  
  
A chair scraped downstairs, and two strange voices drifted up through the ventilation system. They must have been a man and a woman.  
  
"Harry, you have to come back with us. Voldemort's followers won't retreat." The man said.  
  
"Yes, Harry. They don't believe you killed him. They need proof that you aren't dead." It was the woman this time.  
  
"No, can't you see I have a life here, Hermione! I have a child. What will she do when I tell her that we have to leave, that her father's business in the magical world isn't finished?" Her father sounded mad, but scared too.  
  
"What, you mean you haven't told her yet Harry? What are you thinking?" the man said.  
  
"I'm thinking that I don't want her to grow up being Harry Potter's daughter. I want her to be Carlyn Gretchen Potter." Her father was definitely mad now.  
  
Carlyn was scared. Who were these people, and what were they doing in her kitchen? What did her father mean by, 'the magical world'? She decided to go downstairs.  
  
As she tiptoed down the creaky steps, she glimpsed a short figure, about her height, standing next to the man and woman. Two more were sitting near her father's feet. "Children?" she thought.  
  
"You have to tell her." The woman said. "Hasn't she received her Hogwarts Letter yet?"  
  
Her father pulled a piece of yellowed parchment off the refrigerator top. "You mean this?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, and why haven't you sent it back yet?" the man sounded annoyed.  
  
"I told you, Carlyn will not grow up to be a mess like I am. Going back to our world will only make things worse for her."  
  
Carlyn silently neared the kitchen. What did her father mean, 'our world'? She entered behind him, and cleared her little throat.  
  
Harry must have jumped a foot into the air. He whirled on her, pulling a stick out of his pocket. He pointed it at her, then drew it back when he saw who it was.  
  
"Carlyn, why aren't you sleeping? Did you have another bad dream?" he asked quietly.  
  
She peered around her father's legs. The man was tall and lanky. He waved and nudged the child that stood by his legs. A girl with long bushy hair waved. The two boys sitting at his feet were asleep, and one gave a small whine as the woman tapped them each one the head. She looked almost exactly like the girl, only much taller. The small boys, who must have been twins from their looks, waved a little, then fell back asleep.  
  
"I am Hermione Weasley, and these are my children Alyssa, Alex, and Aaron." The woman named Hermione said. She smiled warmly.  
  
The man introduced himself. "I am Ronald Weasley, and this is my family." He gestured to the group.  
  
"I, I, I am Carlyn." Carlyn stuttered. She was visibly frightened. She looked up at her father. "What do you mean by, 'magical world'?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I guess I have a lot of explaining to do don't I?" he said. Carlyn just nodded. 


	2. And now she'll know

Disclaimer- Any names you don't recognize are mine. Any you do recognize aren't. Easy enough.  
  
A/N: Wow, 26 reviews and only up for a day! Thank you everyone for reading my story so far. If you have any questions about my story, feel free to ask them, and I will answer them in the next chapter, at the beginning. But enough about that.  
  
Falling Into Reality  
  
Ron shook his head. Why Harry hadn't just told her? It would have saved him all this trouble. But then again, he never was one to just do things the easy way.  
  
Carlyn waited patiently as her father decided what to tell her first. Should he tell her that her life was a lie? A total and complete lie. That her mother didn't die when she was born but still lived. That the stuff of fairy tales he had told her was actually true. Yes, the other things would wait, but understanding the truth about his former life needed to be told now.  
  
"Well," Harry began. This would definitely be hard all right. "You know the stories I tell you each night about a boy and his adventures with his best friends?" Carlyn nodded, completely and utterly intrigued. "Uh, those are more than just stories. Those are the tales of my childhood. That boy, that would be me. And the two friends, well, you're looking at them." He gestured to Hermione and Ron.  
  
Carlyn tilted her head. "They are exactly like you said, just bigger." Her ten-year-old brain shook with excitement. Her dreams, good ones at least, were coming true!  
  
"The world that we live in," Ron explained. "Is the world that your father grew up in. Well, for the most part at least."  
  
"Yes, and we'd love it if you would come back with us." Hermione added.  
  
"Really? I mean, only if it's okay with my father, that is." Carlyn was visibly thrilled. If only.  
  
"We are going back with them, if you want to, Carlyn."  
  
"Oh father! Yes, I would love to go!" Carlyn was almost jumping up and down around the kitchen.  
  
Alyssa laughed. "If you would like, Carlyn, you can come stay with us. You can even share my room."  
  
Carlyn nodded her head vigorously. "Oh yes, please! Can we father, can we stay with them?" She gave her father a pleading look.  
  
"I suppose so. Until we find a place of our own at least." Harry agreed.  
  
"Then it's settled." Ron rubbed his hands together in anticipation.  
  
"Uh, Hermione, I have a favor to ask. Would you mind staying with me until we get everything moved?" Harry asked. "I need someone to watch Carlyn here well I get things settled for the house and all."  
  
Hermione turned to Ron. "Do you mind, dear?" She asked him.  
  
"No, not at all." Ron answered. He picked up the boys, and headed towards the living room. "I might as well go now anyhow. I work tomorrow you know." He pulled a packet of green colored sand out of his pocket. As he neared the fire, he tossed some in, and nodded his head toward the three.  
  
Carlyn gently tugged on her father's nightshirt. "Can Alyssa stay, please. I want to learn more about this world we are moving to before we leave."  
  
Alyssa's eyes brightened. "Yes father, can I stay?" She asked Ron.  
  
He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess. I mean, if it's all right with Harry that is."  
  
Harry nodded his head. "Sure she can. It'll make things all the easier for Carlyn then."  
  
Alyssa dashed over to her mother. "Yes!" She cried, pumping her small fist into the air.  
  
The fire glowed a tinge of purple as Ron stepped into the fire. Carlyn gasped.  
  
"Don't worry. It's called Flu-Powder, and we use it to move from our home to a lot of places." Alyssa reassured her.  
  
"Oh, I see. I guess I have a lot to learn then don't I?" She asked Alyssa. Alyssa nodded.  
  
"Bye dad, I'll see you soon!" She called.  
  
Ron waved a little, and set the boys down. He hugged Hermione and Alyssa, then returned to the fireplace. Alex and Aaron hopped out.  
  
"Home!" Ron called. A whooshing sound sucked him up the fireplace, and he disappeared from view. The twins clambered in together. "Home!" They called in perfect unison. Another whooshing sound sucked them up and out of view.  
  
"Well, let's start packing, shall we." Hermione said, clapping her hands together.  
  
"Carlyn and Alyssa, you to go sleep for awhile. I'll need both of you thoroughly refreshed and awake tomorrow morning." Harry said, nodding towards the stairs.  
  
The girls went upstairs, and Carlyn lent Alyssa a night-gown to wear. They climbed into Carlyn's bed, and snuggled underneath the covers.  
  
"Wow." Carlyn thought, as she drifted into sleep. 


	3. Remembering at breakfast

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get another chapter posted! I have been very busy you know with getting ready for school and all. Volleyball practices start soon, so I won't be online as much. I am open to ideas, so you can email me at aqn07nwu11@cs.com if you have some. Thanks all for sticking with it: talentedwithapen. And the story goes on:  
  
Falling Into Reality.  
  
Harry relaxed into a chair and began making mental notes for everything that would needed to be done. After a few minutes, he had come up with a sufficient list:  
  
Clean Call Realtor Get boxes Pack Go to Gringotts Interview for job Tell Carlyn all she needs to know.  
  
The last item would be especially hard. How could he tell her about her mother? It wouldn't be easy, but it needed to be done.  
  
"How's it coming along Harry?" Hermione came up behind him. She looked at the list, and paused. "Would it be better if I helped with the mother thing?"  
  
"No, I need to tell her. It wouldn't sound right coming from anyone else." Harry glanced up at Hermione. It was those eyes. After so long, they still haunted his dreams, still brought back memories.  
  
"Harry, what's the matter?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Nothing, nothing." He returned to the list.  
  
Carlyn woke up bright and refreshed. She shook her pillows, then took the cases off, and put them inside the boxes she found by her door. Trying not to wake Alyssa up, she moved around the room deciding what she needed to pack.  
  
"Up so early sweety?" Carlyn was startled by Hermione standing in her door frame. She looked around, and nodded.  
  
"I don't want Daddy to have to wait for me." She answered.  
  
"I see." Hermione smiled, and turned to go.  
  
"Er, Mrs. Granger? Exactly what should I call you from now on?" Carlyn asked.  
  
Hermione spun around and almost dropped to the floor in amazement. She regained her composure, and leaned against the door frame again.  
  
"Hermione is fine Carlyn. You needn't worry about being proper around the Weasley family." She smiled. "They never are." She added in an undertone.  
  
Carlyn laughed a little. "Okay, er, Hermione." She said, and started to pack again.  
  
Soon the smells of waffles and syrup drifted up to Carlyn's now almost empty room. Alyssa turned in her sleep, and Carlyn thought of waking her. She walked over to the bed.  
  
"Alyssa, breakfast is ready." She said, nudging the sleeping form.  
  
"Boo!" Alyssa whipped off the covers and made a face. Carlyn jumped and landed in a heap on the floor.  
  
"You, you scared me!" She panted, clearly out of breath.  
  
"I learned it from my father. Sorry I scared you so." Alyssa grinned, and hopped out of the bed.  
  
Pulling the covers off and folding them, Carlyn asked Alyssa a question. "What is the scariest thing about your world?"  
  
Alyssa paused, "Well it used to be Voldemort, but your father went and, I shouldn't be the one to tell you this. Let's go downstairs."  
  
Carlyn frowned. "Okay." She agreed worriedly, and walked down the stairs behind Alyssa. "This can't be good." She thought.  
  
They reached the bottom of the stairs. Harry walked out of the kitchen. Smiling, he looked at both of the girls. "Well there are my princesses! G'morning to you." He gave each of them a hug. "Breakfast is ready and waiting for you both. I hope you like waffles Alyssa."  
  
"Oh yes, sir." Alyssa replied, nodding her head. "It's not often we have them at our house you know."  
  
"Harry is fine." He said, grinning. "Since Carlyn can call Hermione her first name."  
  
"Okay, can we eat now?" Alyssa winked. "I am just a little bit hungry and well, those waffles are looking especially good right about now."  
  
Harry put his hand to his forehead. "How could I forget?" He handed the girls each a plate and told them to eat as many as they liked, since lunch might be a little late today.  
  
After about half an hour, both girls stuffed to the brim, they returned to packing Carlyn's room.  
  
Hermione smiled as she began to pack Harry's room. All the things from Hogwarts sat in a box at the back of his closet, not forgotten. The robes were still nicely folded, and his graduation diploma was still unwrapped. Carefully, Hermione peeled back the plastic that held it. It read:  
  
On this May 17, 1997, we the teachers and staff of Hogwarts commemorate Mr. Harry J. Potter in his graduation. Congratulations Mr. Potter, and may you have a safe and rewarding life.  
  
She glanced around the room, and wiped a tear from her eye. It had been that year that her parents had died in the first war against Voldemort. She wrapped the diploma back in its plastic, and slipped it back in the box. It also had been the year that she had her first child.  
  
Well, I am hoping to get at least 6 more reviews. You know you want to: just go press the little purple button under these words. Come on, you can do it! Everyone gives me ten reviews and I'll reveal who the mom is..  
  
Shout outs to you all:  
  
MiniPoe: Thanks for reading! Here's the next chapter for you.  
  
Gryffindor-Girl: You'll find out next chapter who the mom is, and all that good stuff.  
  
Bridget: Thanks for reading.  
  
Evanne Martine Hall: Here you go, please don't die! You won't be able to finish the story then! Haha 


End file.
